Small rodents, not deer, are responsible for transmitting the Lyme disease bacteria to ticks. A typical field mouse can carry more than 100 ticks during peak activity periods, and all of those ticks have the potential of transmitting Lyme disease as well as other tick-borne diseases. Nymph ticks, about the size of a poppy seed, are active now through the end of July, while adult female deer ticks will be laying up to 3,000 eggs on the ground at the end of May, completing their two-year life cycle. Mouse and chipmunk activity on your property may be supporting the presence of deer ticks.
Tick habitat & landscape modifications…
Ticks need moist areas to survive. Modifying your landscape is a simple way to reduce tick populations. Clean up your yard and keep grass short. Trim branches to let the sunshine in. Sunny areas are less likely to harbor ticks. Remove leaf litter and brush from your property and the perimeter. Move bird feeders and wood piles away from your home. Consider a run or invisible fence to keep pets out of the woods and reduce your pets’ risk of contracting Lyme.
Tick check…
Develop a routine of checking yourself, your children, and your pets frequently after outdoor activity. When showering or bathing, do a full body inspection for a rash or attached ticks. Also use the sensitivity of your fingertips to feel for attached ticks, which will feel like small bumps or scabs. Pay special attention to favorite tick spots-including between toes or fingers, the back of the knees, groin, belly button, waist, armpits, behind ears, and scalp. If you do find a tick, use fine pointed tweezers to gently remove the tick from where it is attached. Pull upward with steady pressure. Do NOT try to smother it, squeeze on it nor apply lotion or heat. Ticks feed by secreting a cement to attach to their host, then inject anesthetics to numb the area. Once they have inserted their barbed mouthpart, they feed by sucking and spitting the contents of their gut into the host. Adult female deer ticks will feed for up to 7 days, if undisturbed, and can engorge up to the size of a raisin. The longer a deer tick is attached, the greater the chances of contracting Lyme and additional tick-borne diseases.
Tick educational partnerships …
Mainely Ticks has partnered with University of Rhode Island’s TickEncounter TickSPOTTERS. Visit https://tinyurl.com/MainelyTicksTickSPOTTER to learn about tick removal tips, tick identification with photo submission, and personalized risk assessment based on your specific tick photo submissions. Also, we sponsor Be Ready for Ticks trail signs, which are another tickborne disease prevention collaboration between Mainely Ticks and Tick Encounter. Learn about strategies to know and understand before you are out and about on the trails…and what to do when you get home. Discover best practice actions to take before, during and after your outside adventures. Go to https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/be-ready-for-ticks-mainely-ticks to learn more.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Tick Lab provides information on ticks of Maine, tick-borne diseases, prevention, Maine tick data, and tick photos. It also offers two services for Maine citizens- Submit a tick for ID (free) or Submit a Tick for Testing $20 fee. Details are on their website https://extension.umaine.edu/ticks/
If you’re finding ticks on your property…
Visit www.mainelyticks.com to learn more about our educational resources. Click Request a Quote for a complimentary site visit estimate for our professional services that will better protect your entire family. We also can assist with mosquito reduction and offer regular treatments as well as a one-time party spray for special occasions, including graduation, birthday, reunions, or other family gatherings. Prevention is the Best Prescription. <
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